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The  Ashtabula  Plan 
of 
Municipal  Government  ^ 

The    Commission- Manager    Form    with 
Proportional  Representation 


\ 


The  text  of  the  novel  features  of  the  Charter 
and  an  account  of  the  first  election  Nov- 
ember 2,  1915 


PUBLISHED    BY    THE 

Iashtabula  chamber  of  commerce 

*"'  ASHTABULA,   OHIO 

Copies  of  this  pamphlet  may  also  be  obtained  on  request  from 

The  National   Short  Ballot  Organization,  381  4th  Avenue,  N.  Y. 

(Which  publishes  other  pamphlets  on  the  Commission-Manager  Plan) 

The  American  Proportional  Representation  League,  Haverford,  Pa- 

(Which  publishes  other  pamphlets  on  Proportional  Representation) 


The  Ashtabula  Plan 


This  pamphlet  is  intended  to  provide  a  careful  answer  to  the 
many  questions  that  are  being  addressed  to  Ashtabula  in  regard  to  its 
unique  new  plan  of  government. 

Ashtabula,  Ohio,  is  a  thriving  industrial  community  of  about 
20,000  population  (18,266  in  the  1910  Census).  Politically  its  history 
has  been  uneventful  except  for  the  incessant  contests  between  wets 
and  drys  on  the  liquor  question,  on  which  the  city  divides  very  evenly, 
sometimes  inclining  to  one  side  and  sometimes  to  the  other.  There 
was  no  serious  allegation  of  graft  in  the  old  mayor-and-council  gov- 
ernment: the  new  charter  was  adopted  mainly  to  realize  the  benefits 
of  the  home-rule  provisions  of  the  new  state  constitution  and  to  mod- 
ernize and  simplify  the  municipal  machinery. 

General  Charter  Provisions 

The  govefn^g  body,  is  a  body  of  seven  members  elected  at  large 
by  the  Hare  system  of  proportional  representation  for  a  term  of  two 
years.  Salary  pf.membiers;  $100  a  year,  with  $50  extra  for  the  chair- 
man (called  presid'eiit)'.  -No*  other  elective  officers  in  the  city  govern- 
ment— a  Short  Ballot  facilitating  control  by  the  people. 

The  council  is  instructed  to  "appoint  a  City  Manager  who  shall 
be  the  administrative  head  of  the  municipal  government  under  the 
direction  and  supervision  of  the  Council  and  who  shall  hold  office  at 
the  pleasure  of  the  Council."  The  council  also  appoints  the  City 
Solicitor,  City  Treasurer,  Health  Officer,  City  Auditor,  and  Civil  Ser- 
vice Commission.  All  other  appointments  are  in  the  hands  of  the 
Manager. 

The  charter  includes  the  Initiative,  Referendum,  and  Recall. 

Except  for  the  unique  proportional  representation  feature,  it  will 
be  seen  that  the  charter  conforms  to  the  commission-manager  plan  of 
Dayton,  Springfield,  and  some  forty  other  American  cities. 

Ashtabula  takes  its  position  in  the  following  sequence  of  pioneers 
in  municipal  government. 

1900        Galveston  Commission  Plan 

1905        Pes  Moines  Commission  Plan  with  non-partisan  elections 

and  other  improvements 
(copied  by  over  350  cities) 

1913  Dayton  Commission  Plan  with  City  Manager 

(copied  by  40  cities  up  to  date) 

1914  Cadillac  Commission-Manager  Plan  with  Preferential 

Ballot 

(copied  by  4  cities) 

1915  Ashtabula  Commission-Manager  Plan  with  Proportion- 

al Representation 

2 


>  tCi^ 


The  First  Proportional  Representation  Election  in  America' 

By  A.  R.  HATTON 

Professor  of  Political  Science,  Western  Reserve  University 


Has  Ashtabula  shown  the  way  to  the  final  type  of  city  government 
on  this  continent  ?     There  is  more  than  a  fair  chance  that  she  has. 

Ashtabula  chose  a  Charter  Commission  under  the  Ohio  home  rule 
amendment  early  in  1914.  The  Commission  elected  was  favorable  to 
the  Commission-Manager  Plan  of  government  with  a  council  elected  at 
large. 

Already,  however,  the  objection  had  been  advanced  in  Ashtabula 
that  a  council  elected  at  large  in  the  usual  way  would  probably  repre- 
sent only  one  party,  and  that  this  was  not  desirable  if  the  council  was 
to  choose  the  Manager,  who  was  expected  to  be  a  permanent  expert 
non-political  official. 

The  man  who  had  brought  this  idea  to  Ashtabula  was  C.  G.  Hoag, 
General  Secretary  of  the  American  Proportional  Representation 
League.  Mr.  Hoag  was  invited  to  address  the  Charter  Commission  at 
its  first  formal  meeting.  On  that  occasion  he  again  proposed,  as  a  way 
out  of  the  difficulty,  the  election  of  the  council  at  large  by  proportional 
representation.  Several  members  of  the  Commission  accepted  the  idea 
as  sound  in  theory.  One  of  them,  Mr.  W.  E.  Boynton,  an  engineer  on 
the  Lake  Shore  Railroad,  who  had  previously  been  President  of  the 
City  Council,  embraced  the  proposal  with  enthusiasm,  thoroughly 
acquainted  himself  with  the  proportional  system,  and  became  the  de- 
voted and  efficient  leader  of  a  campaign  for  its  adoption  by  Ashtabula. 

The  Commission  finally  rejected  proportional  representation  as  a 
novelty  likely  to  jeopardize  the  acceptance  of  the  charter  as  a  whole 
when  submitted  to  the  voters.  As  submitted  in  November,  1914,  the 
charter  provided  for  a  council  of  seven,  nominated  by  a  5  per  cent 
petition  and  to  be  elected  at  large  in  the  usual  way  on  a  non-partisan 
ballot.     This  charter  was  adopted. 

Although  Mr.  Boynton  is  quiet,  he  is  persistent.  He  at  once  set 
about  to  initiate  his  proportional  representation  amendment  to  the 
new  charter.  This  amendment  was  voted  on  in  August,  1915,  before 
the  first  election  of  the  council. 


♦From  the  Cleveland  Plain  Dealer,  November  8th,  with  Changes 
Sanctioned  by  the  Author 


3 


Though  the  vote  was  light,  proportional  representation  carried  in 
all  but  five  of  the  fifteen  precincts  of  the  city.  It  was  under  this 
amendment  that  Aish tabula  elected  its  first  council  under  the  new 
charter. 

.-,  f  /.'  '}■ : '.  !Whaf  is  Proportional  Representation? 

The  theory  of  proportional  representation  is  that  each  consider- 
able party  or  group  of  opinion  should  be  represented  in  the  council 
or  representative  body  in  proportion  to  its  voting  strength.  Thus  if, 
in  an  election  at  which  seven  representatives  are  to  be  chosen,  the 
Democrats  cast  four-sevenths,  the  Republicans  two-sevenths,  and  the 
Socialists  one-seventh  of  the  vote,  those  parties  should  be  represented 
in  the  council  by  four,  two,  and  one  representative  respectively. 

If  the  division  of  opinion  is  not  along  party  lines,  the  divisions 
should  nevertheless  be  represented  in  proportion  to  their  voting 
strength. 

In  Ashtabula  the  lines  of  division  in  the  recent  election  had  little 
to  do  with  national  parties  except  that  there  was  a  Socialist  group. 
There  was  first  the  question  of  local  representation.  The  Harbor  dis- 
trict lies  at  some  distance  from  the  city  proper.  Under  the  old  ward 
plan  this  district  had  always  been  represented  by  one  member  of  the 
council.  Under  the  usual  plan  of  election  at  large  it  would  probably 
not  have  been  represented  at  all.  Then  there  is  in  Ashtabula  the 
question  of  nationalities.  The  city  has  a  large  foreign  element,  the 
chief  groups  being  Irish,  Italians,  Swedes,  and  Finns. 

The  voters  are  also  sharply  divided  on  the  liquor  issue,  the  city 
swaying  first  to  the  dry  and  then  to  the  wet  side.  Finally,  there  is  the 
question  of  adequate  representation  for  the  substantial  business  ele- 
ment of  the  community.  It  will  be  interesting  to  note  the  extent  to 
which  these  various  groups  and  interests  secured  representation  at 
the  recent  election. 

There  are  several  plans  of  proportional  representation.  That 
adopted  is  the  Hare  plan. 

There  are  seven  members  of  the  council  to  be  chosen.  The  candi- 
dates get  their  names  on  the  ballot  by  filing  a  petition  signed  by  2  per 
cent  of  the  voters.  No  voter  can  sign  a  petition  for  more  than  one 
candidate.  The  ballot  has  no  party  marks.  The  voter  marks  his 
preferences  for  as  many  candidates  as  he  pleases,  the  figure  1  for  his 
first  choice,  the  figure  2  for  his  second  choice,  etc.  Though  any  num- 
ber of  preferences  may  be  marked,  and  though  seven  members  are  to 
be  elected,  no  ballot  can  be  actually  counted  for  more  than  one  candi- 
date. In  order  to  be  elected  a  candidate  does  not  need  a  majority, 
or  even  a  plurality  of  all  the  votes,  but  only  a  trifle  more  than  an 
eighth  of  them. 

To  determine  the  number  of  votes  necessary  for  election  to  the 
council  the  total  number  of  valid  ballots  is  divided  by  eight,  and  the 
whole  number  next  higher  than  the  quotient  thus  secured  is  taken  as 
the  number  of  votes  required  to  elect.     This  number  is  chosen  because 

4 


it  is  the  smallest  whole  number  that  can  be  taken  seven  but  not  eight 
times  from  the  total.  In  other  words,  it  would  be  possible  for  seven 
candidates  to  get  that  many  votes  out  of  a  given  total  but  eight  could 
not  possibly  do  so. 

In  Ashtabula  the  total  number  of  valid  ballots  cast  was  2,972. 
This  number  divided  by  8  gives  a  quotient  of  371  -}.  The  next  whole 
number  larger  than  this  quotient  is  372,  and  this  was  therefore  the 
number  of  votes  required  for  election.  The  number  so  established 
is  known  as  the  "quota"  or  constituency. 

One^j&agdidaLfe,  SrcCIiire.  ref^^^'^'^d  n^nvo  thgn  tj^is  number  of  first-     tI 
chp«!^otes,  namely  392.   '.The  extra  20  ballots,  taken  fromTnS  ballotsk^  '^^ 
ft  random  but  equally  from'Tiie,  battots  of  each  precinct,  were  trans-    )  *^^, 
ferred  to  second-choice  candidates,  each  one  in  accordance  withjl 
instructions  given  by  the  voter's  figures  on  the  ballot.     Fjic--ers?irriple, 

.these  20  ballots  were  traflsferrejl.lflLMcCaaeHjgeause  on  them    ^  W^ 
McCune  's  name  was  marked  with  the  figure  2.  a*        1 7^ 

Next,  the  candidate  having  fewest  votes  was  declared  defeated         AAk 
and  out  of  the  count,  and  all  his  ballots  were  distributed  to  other  can-  Pn  Jj_  • 
didates  in  the  same  way.     This  done,  the  candidate  now  lowest  was         i^ 
declared  defeated  and  out,  and  his  ballots  transferred.     And  so  the 
count  proceeded  until  all  the  ballots  except  an  odd  remainder  found 
their  way  into  one  or  another  of  seven  surviving  piles. 

An  abstract  explanation  of  the  process  gives  an  impression  of 
great  complexity.  When  it  came  to  the  actual  work  of  the  count, 
however,  no  trouble  whatever  arose.  Although  the  board  of  election 
had  had  no  previous  experience  with  such  a  system  and  was  without 
proper  office  equipment  for  handling  such  a  ballot,  the  transferring 
of  the  ballots  and  the  tabulation  of  the  vote  was  accomplished  in  about 
three  hours.  At  no  time  were  the  officials  in  serious  doubt  concerning 
the  steps  to  be  taken. 

♦  *  ♦ 

"With  one  exception  the  seven  standing  highest  on  first-choice 
votes  were  finally  elected,  the  exception  being  Mr.  Rinto,  a  young 
Finnish  lawyer.  McCune,  Hogan,  Briggs,  and  Corrado,  four  of  the 
successful  candidates,  are  members  of  the  present  city  council.  The 
other  three  candidates  who  are  members  of  the  present  council  were 
defeated. 

How  well  do  the  men  chosen  represent  the  city?  McClure  is  man- 
ager of  a  department  in  one  of  the  large  stores.  Hogan  is  one  of  the 
leading  physicians  of  Ashtabula,  McCune  is  a  greenhouse  man,  Gud- 
mundson  assistant  cashier  of  a  bank  in  the  Harbor  district,  Earlywine 
clerk  and  paymaster  of  a  large  ore  company,  Briggs  a  newspaper 
man,  and  Carrado  a  saloon-keeper. 

The  business  element  may  be  said  to  have  three  representatives. 
The  Irish,  Swedes,  and  Italians  each  elected  a  member.  The  Socialists 
elected  one  member,  and  the  Harbor  district  is  represented.  On  the 
liquor  issue,  three  of  the  successful  candidates  are  pronounced  drys, 
three  are  classed  as  liberal,  and  one  as  very  wet. 


In  general,  the  opinion  in  Ashtabula  seems  to  be  that,  taking  both 
quality  and  representative  character  into  consideration,  a  better 
choice  could  hardly  have  been  made  from  the  list  of  candidates.  It 
is  generally  agreed  that  the  new  council  will  contain  more  ability  than 
the  present  one  elected  on  the  ward  plan,  and  that  it  will  aho  be  more 
representative  of  the  entire  body  of  the  voters. 

I  think  it  may  be  said  that  Ashtabula  has  shown  other  cities  the 
way.  They  have  been  shown  how  to  elect  a  council  in  a  manner  to 
provide  equitable  representation  to  all  parties  and  interests;  a  plan 
under  which  the  majority  will  control  while  the  minority  or  minor- 
ities will  have  representation  in  proportion  to  their  actual  importance. 

Under  the  Ashtabula  system  we  may  expect  the  quality  of  the 
council  to  improve.  When  groups  of  opinion  come  to  understand 
that  if  they  have  a  little  more  than  one-eighth  of  the  vote  they  cannot 
be  denied  representation  in  the  council,  their  ablest  representatives  will 
be  willing  to  become  candidates.  Men  of  high  professional  and  busi- 
ness ability  will  stand  for  election  to  the  council  because  they  will  be 
sure  that  if  they  really  represent  their  element  they  will  win.  Gerry- 
mandering and  a  large  measure  of  political  jockeying  and  wire- 
pulling will  disappear.  Parties  will  be  obliged  to  find  a  basis  on 
principle  rather  than  largely  on  patronage,  as  is  the  case  at  the  pres- 
ent time. 

The  manager-plan  opens  the  way  for  permanent,  expert  service 
in  city  administration  and  for  the  elimination  of  politics  from  that 
part  of  our  municipal  governments.  Proportional  representation  will 
provide  a  council  which  may  properly  be  allowed  to  choose  a  city 
manager — a  council  which  is  truly  representative,  the  members  of 
which  stand  for  policies  and  the  fundamental  interests  of  the  commun- 
ity rather  than  for  a  more  or  less  artificial  party  organization. 

Ashtabula  has  a  short  ballot,  the  manager-plan,  and  a  council 
chosen  by  proportional  representation.  That  is  the  latest  word  in 
city  government,  and  as  yet  no  one  has  arisen  to  suggest  that  any- 
thing further  can  be  said. 


From  the  Ashtabula  ''Beacon,"  Nov.  5,  1915 

Proportional  representation  has  been  demonstrated  and  found 
better  than  expected. 

In  analyzing  the  results  we  find  that  all  sections  and  factions  are 
represented  in  the  new  council.  There  are  two  from  the  first  ward, 
one  from  the  second,  two  from  the  third,  and  two  from  the  fourth. 
Three  from  the  Harbor  and  four  from  uptown.  One  from  the  east 
side  and  two  from  the  west  side  at  the  Harbor.  One  from  the  west 
end,  one  from  the  south  end,  and  two  from  the  central  portion  of  the 
uptown  section  of  the  city.     Four  of  the  old  council  were  re-elected. 

The  drys  and  wets  are  represented.  The  Protestants  and  Cath- 
olics, the  business,  professional  and  laboring  men.  the  Kepublicans, 
Democrats,  Socialists,  the  English,  Swedes,  and  Italians  are  all  repre- 
sented, while  there  were  more  divisions  than  places. 

It  would  be  hard  to  select  a  more  representative  council  in  any 
other  way. 


From  the  Ashtabula  "Star,"  Nov.  5,  1915 

It  is  generally  conceded  that  it  [the  new  voting  system]  has  given 
Ashtabula  a  broadly  representative  council,  probably  the  most  repre- 
sentative body  in  the  city's  history. 


The  ward  system   elects  each  councilman  by  a  con- 
stituency of  voters  who  live  together  and  think  apart. 

The  proportional  system  elects  each  councilman  by  a 
constituency  of  voters  who  live  apart  and  think  together. 


First  Proportional  Election  in  Ashtabula,  November  2,  1915 

FOR   THE    SEVEN    MEMBERS    OF    THE    CITY    COUNCIL 

Procedure 

1.  Ascertain  the  quota.      (The  total  number  of  valid  ballots  was 

2,972)      2,972  divided  by  8=371f 

The  next  number  larger  than  this  quotient,  namely  372, 
is  the  "quota"  or  constituency,  i.  e.  enough  to  elect,  being 
the  smallest  number  which  seven,  but  not  eight,  candidates 
can  get. 

2.  First-choice  votes.     McClure,  having  more  first-choice  votes  than 

the  quota,  was  forthwith  declared  elected  and  out  of  the 
count. 

Tke  figures  referred  to  in  each  of  the  folio  Mring  ptu-agraphs  will  appear  directly  opposite  in  the  table. 

3.  The  20  surplus  ballots  of  McClure  were  taken  at  random  from  his 

ballots  (an  equal  number  being  drawn  from  the  returns  of 
each  precinct)  and  transferred,  each  one  separately  accord- 
ing to  the  second  choice  indicated  on  it. 

4.  Lampela,  the  lowest  man,  was  now  declared  defeated  and  out  of 

the  count,  and  all  his  ballots  (except  those  on  which  no 
available  lower  choice  was  indicated)  were  transferred  in  the 
same  way.  If  the  second  choice  on  a  ballot  was  McClure, 
that  ballot  was  transferred  according  to  third  choice,  of 
course,  since  McClure  had  already  been  elected. 

5.  Loose,  the  man  now  lowest,  was  next  declared  defeated  and  out  of 

the  count,  and  his  ballots  were  transferred  just  as  Lampela's 
had  been.  (Note  that  only  64  out  of  Loose's  107  ballots 
could  be  transferred  because  only  64  of  them  had  marked  an 
available  lower  choice.  For  example,  a  ballot  marked  only 
for  Loose  as  first,  McClure  as  second,  and  Lampela  as  third 
choice  could  not  be  transferred,  because  McClure  had  been 
elected  and  Lampela  had  been  eliminated.) 

6.  Cook,   the  man  now  lowest,  was  declared  out  and  his  ballots 

transferred. 

7.  Carlson  and  Flower  were  now  tied  for  lowest  place,  with  165  votes 

each.  Carlson,  who  had  been  the  lower  of  the  two  at  the 
previous  count,  was  declared  out  and  his  ballots  transferred. 

8.  Flower,  now  lowest,  was  declared  out  and  his  ballots  transferred. 

Before  this  transfer  was  finished,  Hogan  had  the  quota  and 
was  declared  elected. 

9.  Tilton,  now  lowest,  was  declared  out  and  his  ballots  transferred. 

This  brought  McCune's  votes  up  to  the  quota  and  elected 
him. 

10.  Rinto,  being  now  lowest,  was  declared  out.     As  this  left  only 

seven  candidates  standing,  it  was  unnecessary  to  count 
further.  (Rinto  had  stood  higher  than  either  Corrado  or 
Briggs  on  first  choices,  but  he  was  not  well  known  except  in 
his  own  section  and  so  did  not  attract  many  second  and 
lower  choices.) 


For  ar 

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Elected 


-Defeated- 


Advantages  of  Proportional  Representation 


This  system  of  voting  is  known  as  the  Hare  plan  of  proportional 
representation.  It  is  new  to  America,  but  has  been  used  successfully 
for  a  number  of  years  in  Tasmania  and  South  Africa.  It  is  considered 
to  offer  the  fullest  and  freest  expression  of  the  opinions  of  the  elector- 
ate. Its  expected  advantages  over  the  common  plurality  system  are 
as  follows: 

1.  It  gives  proportional  representation,  i.  e.,  it  gives  each  party 
or  group  of  voters  its  due  proportionate  share  of  members  in  the  coun- 
cil or  commission.  Instead  of  electing  a  solid  block  of  seven  dry  or 
seven  wet  Republicans,  Ashtabula  elected  four  Republicans,  two  Dem- 
ocrats, and  a  Socialist,  of  whom  three  were  classed  as  dry,  and  four  as 
liberal  or  wet.  //  is  just,  making  the  body  that  spends  the  taxes  of  all  truly 
representative  of  all. 

2.  The  stahiliiy  and  continuity  of  membership  in  the  council, 
through  successive  terms,  will  be  much  greater.  The  tenure  of  a  good 
Manager  is  thereby  made  more  secure.  A  ten  per  cent  fluctuation  in 
public  opinion  will  produce  only  a  corresponding  change  in  the  coun- 
cil, whereas  under  the  common  at-large  method  the  swing  of  ten  per 
cent  may  produce  either  a  hundred  per  cent  overturn  in  the  personnel 
of  the  governing  body  or  no  change  at  all. 

3.  The  voter  can  vote  exactly  as  he  desires  with  no  fear  of  wast- 
ing his  vote.  A  Prohibitionist,  for  instance,  may  mark  his  sentimental 
first  choice  for  a  probably  hopeless  Prohibition  candidate  and  yet  also 
turn  his  influence  toward  the  selection  of  some  one  who  has  a  better 
chance  of  election. 

4.  No  political  organization,  or  caucusing  of  any  kind  to  prevent 
a  group  of  voters  from  being  split  among  too  many  acceptable  candi- 
dates, is  necessary.  The  alternative  second  and  lower  choices  will 
automatically  bring  the  group  together  again  in  the  count.  The  whole 
field  of  political  bluff  and  strategy  is  swept  away.  A  minority,  no 
matter  how  compact  and  well-drilled  in  its  machine  organization,  can- 
not capture  the  control,  no  matter  how  split  up  and  disorganized  the 
opposition  may  be.  The  scheme  makes  machines  weaker  but  makes 
live  parties  stronger, 

5.  The  voter  can  make  his  ballot  a  possible  source  of  strength 
to  any  candidate  he  approves  of,  no  matter  how  many  such  there  may 
be  in  the  field. 

6.  The  Short  Ballot  principle  is  conserved  without  either  concen- 
trating the  power  into  the  hands  of  a  very  small  commission  or  divid- 
ing the  city  into  districts. 

10 


7.  It  tends  to  secure  for  the  administration  the  co-operation  of  all 
interests  and  of  all  sections  of  public  opinion.  This  great  advan- 
tage of  the  system  was  recently  brought  out  by  Dr.  Lent  D.  Upson, 
formerly  Director  of  the  Bureau  of  Municipal  Research  of  Dayton, 
where  the  Manager  Plan  gives  the  city  an  administration  of  splendid 
efficiency  and  zeal  for  the  public  welfare  but  where  the  commission, 
elected  at  large  by  the  majority  system,  represents  only  the  one  dom- 
inant group  in  the  city. 

The  experience  of  a  year  and  a  half  has  now  demonstrated 
the  need  of  a  more  satisfactory  method  of  connecting  public 
opinion  with  the  government  itself.  Our  administration  is 
honest,  highly  efficient,  and  has  exceeded  my  most  enthusias- 
tic expectation  so  far  as  results  are  concerned.  I  feel,  how- 
ever, that  its  work  would  be  strengthened  if  every  element 
had  a  voice  in  the  policy-making  body,  and  were  compelled  to 
go  on  record  regarding  the  very  matters  which  they  are  now 
criticizing. 

I  have  said  this  publicly  a  number  of  times,  and  in  a  num- 
ber of  published  articles.  I  feel  confident  that  the  greatest 
success  of  our  present  type  of  government  will  come  under 
some  system  of  proportional  representation. 


11 


Sample  of  the  Ashtabula  Ballot  as 
marked  by  a  voter 


The  voter  who  marked 
his  ballot  as  indicated  said 
to  the  Tally  Clerk  in  effect: 
"Count  this  ballot  for  Mr. 
Lampela,  who  is  my  first 
choice;  but  if  he  does  not 
need  my  vote,  or  if  it  is 
found  that  he  is  so  weak 
that  votes  for  him  are 
useless,  transfer  this  ballot 
to  my  second  choice,  Mr. 
McClure;  if  my  vote  cannot 
help  either  Mr.  Lampela  or 
Mr.  McClure,  count  it  for 
Mr.  Hogan,  and  so  on." 


As  Mr.  Lampela  was 
found  in  the  counting  to 
be  hopelessly  weak,  this 
ballot  was  available  for  Mr. 
McClure.  But  Mr.  McClure 
did  not  need  it,  already 
having  votes  enough  to 
elect  him.  Therefore  the 
ballot  went  to  Mr.  Hogan, 
and  was  one  of  the  372  bal- 
lots that  elected  him. 


1         MUNICIPAL  TICKET 

DIRECTIONS  TO  VOTERS            - 

Put  the  figure  1  opposite  the  name  of    = 

your  first  choice  for  the  Council.     If  you    — 

:    want  to  express  also  second,  third,  and    — 

:    other  preferences,  do  so  by  putting  the    = 

=    figure  2  opposite  the  name  of  your  second    — 

-  choice,  the  figure  3  opposite  the  name  of    — 

-  your  third  choice,  and  so  on.     You  may    — 

-  express  thus  as  many  preferences  as  you    — 

-  please.     This  ballot  will  not  be  counted    — 

-  for  your  second  choice  unless  it  is  found    — 

-  that  it  cannot  help  your  first;  it  will  not    — 

-  be  counted  for  your  third  choice  unless  it    — 

-  is  found  that  it  cannot  help  either  your    z= 
J  first   or   your   second;   etc.     The    more  tJ 

-  choices  you  express,  the  surer  you  are  to    _ 

-  make  your  ballot  count  for  one  of  the    ^^ 

-  candidates  you  favor.                                     — 

A  ballot  is  spoiled  if  the  figure  1  is  put    _ 

-  opposite  more  than  one  name.     If  you    :_ 

-  spoil  this  ballot,  tear  it  across  once,  re-    — 

-  turn  it  to  the  election  officer  in  charge  of    — 

-  the  ballots,  and  get  another  from  him.        — 

~ 

I ' 

For  Members  of  Council            = 
FRED  A.  BRIGGS               - 

E 

JOHN  CARLSON                 — 

E 

M.   R.  COOK                     - 

:: 

= 

NICK  CORRADO               ^ 

= 

1  5 

ROBT.  W.  EARLYWINE         = 

E 

JAMES  H.  FLOWER             - 

— 

C.  0.  GUDMUNDSON            - 

1  3 

J.  J.   HOGAN                     - 

1   1 

ROBERT  LAMPELA              - 

E 

GEORGE  H.  LOOSE 

1   2 

J.   H.   McCLURE                  = 

1 

E.  R.  McCUNE                   = 

E 

ARTHUR  RINTO                - 

1  4 

E.  N.  TILTON                  tJ 

12 


Proportional  Representation  in  Ashtabula 

A  Statement  of  the  Facts  Concerning:  the  Adoption  of  Proportional  Represen- 
tation and  the  First  E^lectlon  Held  Thereunder  In  the  City  of  Ashtabula, 
by    the    Chamber    of    Commerce. 


♦•*  In  1913  Mr.  W.  E.  Boynton,  who  was  at  the  time  a  member  of  this  Cham- 
ber, first  brought  the  matter  [proportional  representation]  before  the  Chamber 
and  later  Mr.  C.  G.  Hoag,  General  Secretary-Treasurer  of  the  American  Pro- 
portional Representation  League,  appeared  and  addressed  the  Chamber  upon 
this    subject. 

Under  the  provisions  of  the  Constitution  of  Ohio  adopted  in  1912,  the  prop- 
osition of  a  new  charter  for  this  city  was  taken  up  by  the  Chamber,  and  we 
were  largely  instrumental  in  bringing  about  the  election  of  the  Charter  Com- 
mission   at    the    November    election    in    1913. 

Proportional  Representation  was  ably  advocated  before  the  Charter  Com- 
mission by  Mr.  Boynton,  Mr.  Hoag  and  others,  but  was  rejected  by  a  vote  of  10 
to  5.  The  charter  prepared  by  the  Commission  was  adopted  at  the  November 
election  in  1914  to  take  effect  on  the  first  of  January,  1916.  In  the  spring  of 
1915  petitions  were  circulated  to  secure  a  vote  upon  an  amendment  to  the  char- 
ter so  that  the  Council  first  to  be  elected  under  the  new  charter,  in  November, 
1915,  should  be  elected  by  the  proportional  representation  method.  A  special 
election  upon  this  charter  amendment  was  held  August  10th,  1915,  and  was 
participated  in  by  988  voters,  which  number  was  about  one-fourth  of  the  total 
vote  of  this  city.  The  Amendment  was  adopted  by  a  vote  of  588  to  400,  and 
the  first  election  for  seven  members  of  Council  under  the  charter  as  so  amended 
was  held  November  2,   1915. 

In  this  election  3334  votes  were  cast,  of  which  362  were  thrown  out  as  in- 
valid. The  quota  required  for  election  was  372.  Of  the  seven  members  de- 
clared elected  one  member  was  elected  on  flrs't  choice  ballots  with  a  surplus  of 
20  votes.  Another  was  elected  on  the  7th  count,  another  on  the  8th  count;  and 
the  remaining  four,  having  respectively  361,  343,  286  and  282  votes,  were  declared 
elected  under  the  provisions  of  the  amendment,  that  when  the  candidates  have 
been  eliminated  down  to  the  number  to  be  elected,  those  candidates  remaining 
shall  be  declared  elected  whether  having  the  quota  of  votes  or  not.  During 
the  process  of  transfer  321  votes  were  rendered  ineffective  through  the  failure 
of  the  voters  to  mark  sufficient  choices.  No  great  difficulty  was  experienced 
In  counting  and  transferring  the  ballots,  the  matter  of  transferring  being  com- 
pleted  in   about   three   hours. 

The  result  of  the  first  election  seems  to  have  given  the  city  a  fairly  repre- 
sentative council,  in  which  nearly  all  elements  sufficiently  important  to  be  en- 
titled to  representation  have  selected  one  or  more  members.  Ashtabula  is  a  city 
of  about  22,000  people,  located  on  the  south  shore  of  Lake  Erie.  It  has  a  magnif- 
icent harbor,  with  the  greatest  ore  receiving  and  coal  shipping  facilities  in  the 
world.  Formerly  a  large  amount  of  labor  was  required  in  dock  operations  so 
that  a  considerable  proportion  of  our  population  is  of  foreign  birth.  Of  the 
numerous  nationalities  represented  here  the  only  three  that  have  sufficient 
voting  strength  to  approximate  a  quota  are  the  Italians,  Swedes  and  Finns.  The 
council-elect  contains  one  member  of  Italian  birth  and  one  of  Swedish  birth. 
The  city  is  divided  into  four  wards.  The  council-elect  contains  two  members 
from  the  first  ward,  one  from  the  second,  two  from  the  third,  and  two  from  the 
fourth,  which  is  perhaps  as  near  in  proportion  as  may  be  to  the  proportionate 
voting  strength   of  the  four  wards. 

The  members  of  the  council-elect  consist  of  four  Republicans,  two  Dem- 
ocrats and  one  Socialist.  While  the  Republican  and  Democratic  strength  is 
more  nearly  equal,  the  election  of  one  member  fairly  represents  the  voting 
strength  of  the  Socialist  party.  The  most  important  issue  before  the  voters 
at  this  election  was  the  wet  and  dry  question,  and  the  City  of  Ashtabula  re- 
turned a  dry  majority  of  327.  Of  the  members  of  council-elect  three  are  dry, 
three   are   liberal,   and   one   very   wet. 

Whether  the  organization  of  this  council,  its  appointments  of  the  adminis- 
trative officers  of  the  City,  and  its  conduct  of  municipal  affairs,  will  result 
In  an  efficient,  economical  administration  of  the  business  of  the  City,  time  will 
tell. 

(Signed)  Legislative    Committee, 

F.    R.    HOGUE 
B.    P.    HALL 
J.    M.    McCLURE. 

The  above  report  was  unanimously  adopted  by  the  members  of  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce  of  the  City  of  Ashtabula  at  a  meeting  held  on  the  fifteenth  day 
of   November,    1915. 

(Seal    of    the    Chamber) 

Attest:  THEODORE    HALL,    Secretary. 

13 


Text  of  the  Election  Provisions 

of  the 

Ashtabula  Charter 

(The  only  officials  elected  are  the  seven  members  of  the  council) 


Marking  the  Ballot 

Section  46-1.  Ballots  for  the  election  of  members  of  the  Council  shall  be 
marked  according  to  the  following:  rules  and  the  same  shall  be  printed  at  the 
top  of  each  ballot  under  the  head  of  "Directions  to  Voters:"  [Here  follow  the 
directions  to  voters  as  given  on  the    sample  ballot  on  a  previous  page.] 

Rules  for  Counting  the  Ballots 

Section  46-2.  Ballots  cast  for  the  election  of  members  of  the  council  shall 
be  counted  and  the  results  determined  by  the  election  authorities  according  to 
the  following  rules: 

(a)  No  ballot  shall  be  declared  invalid  except  one  on  which  the  first  choice 
of  the  voter  cannot  be  clearly  ascertained.  A  ballot  marked  with  a  cross 
opposite  one  name,  but  with  no  other  mark,  shall  be  treated  exactly  as  if  It 
had  been  marked  with  a  figure  1  opposite  the  same  name,  but  with  no  other 
mark. 

(b)  The  ballots  shall  first  be  sorted  and  counted  at  the  several  voting 
precincts  according  to  the  first  choice  of  the  voters.  The  valid  ballots  so  cast 
for  each  candidate  shall  be  sorted  into  two  groups,  that  of  valid  ballots  on  which 
the  voter's  second  choice  is  clearly  indicated  and  that  of  valid  ballots  on  which 
his  second  choice  is  not  clearly  indicated.  Each  such  group  shall  be  tied  up 
by  itself  and  properly  marked  on  the  outside  and  the  two  for  each  candidate 
shall  then  be  tied  up  in  one  bundle  which  shall  also  be  properly  marked  on  the 
outside.  All  the  bundles  thus  made  up  at  a  precinct,  together  with  the  invalid 
ballots  and  a  record  of  all  the  ballots  cast  at  the  precinct,  showing  the  number 
of  invalid  ballots,  the  number  of  valid  ballots,  the  total  number  of  first-choice 
ballots  for  each  candidate,  and  the  number  of  ballots  in  each  of  the  two  groups 
of  first-choice  ballots  received  by  each  candidate,  shall  be  forwarded  to  the 
Board  of  Deputy  State  Supervisors  of  Elections,  as  directed  by  that  Board,  and 
the   counting   of   the   ballots  shall   proceed    under    its    direction. 

(c)  First-choice  votes  for  each  candidate  shall  be  added  and  tabulated  as 
the  first  count. 

(d)  The  whole  number  of  valid  ballots  shall  then  be  divided  by  a  number 
greater  by  one  than  the  number  of  seats  to  be  filled.  The  next  whole  number 
larger  than  the  quotient  thus  obtained  shall  be  the   quota  or  constituency. 

(e)  All  candidates  the  number  of  whotre  votes  on  the  first  count  is  equal 
to   or   greater   than   the   quota  shall  then   be  declared   elected. 

(f)  All  votes  obtained  by  any  candidate  in  excess  of  the  quota  shall  be 
termed    the    surplus    of    that    candidate. 

(g)  The  surpluses  shall  be  transferred,  successively  In  order  of  size  from 
the  largest  to  the  smallest.  Each  ballot  of  the  surplus  that  is  capable  of  trans- 
fer shall  be  transferred  to  and  added  to  the  votes  of  continuing  candidates, 
according   to    the   higrhest   available   preference   on    it. 

(h)  "Ballots  capable  of  transfer"  means  ballots  from  which  the  preference 
of  the  voter  for  some  continuing  candidate  can  be  clearly  ascertained.  "Con- 
tinuing candidates"  means  candidates  who  have  not  been  declared  elected  or 
defeated. 

14 


(I)  The  particular  ballots  to  be  taken  for  transfer  as  the  surplus  of  such 
candidate  shall  be  obtained  by  taking  as  nearly  an  equal  number  of  ballots 
as  possible  from  the  first-choice  ballots,  capable  of  transfer,  that  have  been 
cast  for  the  candidate  in  each  of  the  different  precincts  of  the  city.  All  such 
surplus  ballots  shall  be  taken  as  they  may  happen  to  come  In  the  different 
packages    without    selection. 

(j)  After  the  transfer  of  all  surpluses  the  votes  standing  to  the  credit 
of  each  candidate  shall  be  counted  and  tabulated  as  the  second  count. 

(k)  After  the  tabulation  of  the  second  count  (or  after  that  of  the  first 
count  if  no  candidate  received  a  surplus  on  the  first)  the  candidate  lowest  on 
the  poll  as  it  then  stands  shall  be  declared  defeated  and  all  his  ballots  capable  of 
transfer  shall  be  transferred  to  the  continuing  candidates,  each  ballot  being 
transferred  to  the  credit  of  that  continuing  candidate  preferred  by  the  voter. 
After  the  transfer  of  these  ballots  a  fresh  count  and  tabulation  shall  be  made. 
In  this  manner  candidates  s'hall  be  successively  declared  defeated,  and  their 
ballots  capable  of  transfer  transferred  to  continuing  candidates,  and  a  fresh 
count  and  tabulation  made.  After  any  tabulation  the  candidate  to  be  declared 
defeated  shall  be  the  one  then  lowest  on  the  poll. 

(1)  Whenever  in  the  transfer  of  a  surplus  or  of  the  ballots  of  a  defeated 
candidate  the  votes"  of  any  candidate  shall  equal  the  quota,  he  shall  immediately 
be  declared  elected  and  no  further  transfer  to  him  shall  be  made. 

(m)  When  candidates  to  the  number  of  the  seats  to  be  filled  have  been  de- 
clared elected,  all  other  candidates  shall  be  declared  defeated  and  the  count 
shall  be  at  an  end;  and  when  the  number  of  continuing  candidates  shall  be  re- 
duced to  the  number  of  seats  to  be  filled,  those  candidates'  shall  be  declared 
elected  and  the  count  shall  be  at  an  end;  and  In  this  case  the  ballots  of  the  last 
candidate    defeated    need    not    be    transferred, 

(n)  If  at  any  count  two  or  more  candidates  at  the  bottom  of  the  poll  have 
the  same  number  of  votes,  that  candidate  shall  first  be  declared  defeated  who 
was  lowest  at  the  next  preceding  count  at  which  their  votes  were  different. 
Should  it  happen  that  the  votes  of  these  candidates  are  equal  to  each  other  on 
all  counts,  lots  shall  be  drawn  to  decide  which  candidate  shall  next  be  declared 
defeated. 

(o)  In  the  transfer  of  the  ballots  of  any  candidate  who  has  received  bal- 
lots by  transfer,  those  ballots  shall  first  be  transferred  upon  which  the  defeated 
candidate    was    first    choice. 

(p)  On  each  tabulation  a  count  shall  be  kept  of  those  ballots  which  have 
not  been  used  in  the  election  of  some  candidate  and  which  are  not  capable  of 
transfer,    under    the    designation    "Non-transferable    ballots." 

(q)  Every  ballot  that  is  transferred  from  one  candidate  to  another  shall 
be  stamped  or  marked  so  that  its  entire  course  from  candidate  to  candidate 
throughout  the  count  can  be  conveniently  traced.  In  case  a  recount  of  the 
ballots  is  made,  every  ballot  shall  be  made  to  take  in  the  recount  the  same 
course  that  it  took  in  the  first  count  unless  there  is  discovered  a  mistake  that 
requires  its  taking  a  different  course,  in  which  case  such  mistake  shall  be  cor- 
rected and  any  changes'  made  in  the  course  taken  by  ballots  that  may  be  requir- 
ed as  a  result  of  such  correction.  The  particular  ballots  the  course  of  which  is 
to  be  changed  in  the  recount  as  a  result  of  such  corrections  shall  be  taken  as 
they  happen   to  come,  without  selection. 

(r)  So  far  as  may  be  consistent  with  good  order  and  with  convenience  In 
the  counting  and  transferring  of  the  ballots,  the  public,  representatives  of  the 
press,  and  especially  the  candidates  themselves  shall  be  afforded  every  facility 
for  being  present  and  witnessing  these  operations. 


15 


Ashtabula 


Situated  on  the  south  shore  of  Lake  Erie  in  north 
eastern  Ohio,  midway  between  New  York  and 
Chicago . 

Population  at  last  federal  census  was  18,266.  Is  now 
about  21,000. 

Climate  healthful,  tempered  both  summer  and  winter 
by  adjacent  Lake  Erie. 

Excellent  transportation  facilities  afforded  by  two  great 
trunk  lines  east  and  west,  the  New  York  Central 
Lines  and  the  Nickel  Plate,  by  branch  lines  of  the 
New  York  Central  and  the  Pennsylvania  Company 
to  the  south,  and  by  the  gigantic  waterway  system 
of  the  Great  Lakes  to  the  north  and  north-west. 
Trolley  connections  also  with  Cleveland  and 
Buffalo. 

Water  obtained  from  Lake  Erie  in  abundance  and  fil- 
tered before  distribution. 

Highly  efficient  municipal  electric  light  and  power 
plant. 

Natural  gas  available  for  all  purposes.  Found  in  great 
quantities  within  three  miles  of  the  city. 

Oil  found  within  two  miles  of  the  city. 

Coal  abundant  and  cheap  from  the  Pennsylvania  and 
West  Virginia  fields. 

Over  two  hundred  acres  of  public  parks. 

Schools  ample  and  thoroughly  modernized. 

Enormous  quantities  of  iron  ore  and  coal  handled 
annually.  Dock  facilities  for  unloading  20,000,000 
tons  of  iron  ore  from  lake  boats  each  season. 

Ship  yards  and  dry-docks  for  the  construction  and 
repair  of  the  largest  lake  freighters. 

Labor  troubles  unknown. 

Many  desirable  factory  sites  available. 

Write   Theodore   Hall,     Secretary    Chamber   of  Commerce, 
Ashtabula,  0.,  for  further  information. 


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Pamphlet 

Binder 

Gaylord  Bros.,  Inc. 

Stockton,  Calif. 
T.  M.  Reg.  U.S.  Pat.  Off.  . 


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THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  UBRARY 


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